Queensland Family History Society: Irish Research

Do you have Irish ancestors? If so, you are in good company; Ned Kelly, Thomas Keneally and Paul Keating can trace some of their ancestral roots to Ireland. According to the Australian Embassy in Dublin, thirty per cent of the Australian population can claim some degree of Irish ancestry. Apart from Ireland, Australia is more Irish than any other country. As a proportion of the population, the number of people with Irish ancestry is higher in Australia than in the United States, despite more people of Irish descent emigrating to the United States in comparison to Australia.

The Queensland Family History Society will be holding a seminar to assist researchers with Irish ancestry. Entitled Ireland to Australia: researching your Irish ancestors, the seminar takes place at the Queensland Baptists Conference Centre, 53 Prospect Road, Gaythorne, on Saturday 13 June 2015, from 9.00 am until 12.30 pm. The cost is $15 for QFHS members and $20 for non-members.

The speakers are Dr Richard Reid and Mary King. Richard Reid was educated at Trinity College, Dublin and came to Australia in 1972. He obtained a Ph.D. on the topic of Irish assisted emigration to NSW, 1848-1870. He has published a number of books including A decent set of girls: The Irish famine orphans of the Thomas Arbuthnot, 1849-1850. Mary King is the Convenor of the QFHS Irish Special Interest Group.

You can book for this seminar on the QFHS website, www.qfhs.org.au/events/qfhs-seminars where you will find more information about the seminar and the Society. For enquiries about the Society, contact the Secretary (email: secretary@qfhs.org.au).